September 14th

tan, pale gold and black
a tortoiseshell collective
the wonder of cows
I like cows, they have a wet nosed dignity about them. On the moors there are a number of them, wandering as they please, some of them have young, who occasionally skip into a playful gallop. I noticed today, that the young are getting bigger, almost as big as their mothers. They are beautifully coloured, a damp sheen on their smooth coats, a mix of pale gold, brown, tan and black.
When I was younger, growing up in London, I had more chance of seeing an elephant than a cow, as trips to the zoo seemed more frequent than trips outside of London. Occasionally, and by that I mean every other year, my dad would drive us on a day trip to Southend, Face pressed against the glass of his sea green Austin I’d be excited if I saw a cow in the distance as he would drive to the coast.
Even today, there is a sense of wonder I get from domesticated animals, but I’m a bit more used to them now I live in the country!

May 30th

Green tipped meadow flight

nectar stations colourful

Cabbage white dancers

I ran on the moors for the first time in a while. The flower meadows were magnificent. I wish I knew about them to name them, but it didn’t stop me from being inspired to see so many colours and so many cabbage white butterflies teasingly flitting between them all to drink.

May 25th

Hoof prints cracked baked earth
buttercup meadow simmers
white horse in clover

February 12th

Paw twitch, blissful smile,

Hot sun, splayed in meadow grass,

Birdsong, Katie dreams.

 

While I was writing my other blog on Art by Animals, our cat Katie was in the room, asleep on her (current) favourite chair (she rules the roost, she changes her favourite place periodically whilst simultaneously dislodging any human from that place).

Although Katie and cats in general sleep around twenty hours a day, I rarely see her go into a deep sleep. She only does this when she feels safe enough to do so, often just opting for the “foxes doze”, one eye ready to open. Not that she’s got any reason to feel unsafe, but as she has a catflap, she’s always aware that an intruder may come in and she’ll have to shoo them off if we’re not around.

So anyway, whilst I was writing, she was dreaming, the corners of her mouth curled up in a little smile* and her paw was twitching, no doubt a lovely dream about her youth, stalking and catching birds. She’s got a happy life bless her. Cats and especially Katie are wonderful companions. And I don’t care if you compare me to the Cat-Lady in the Simpsons.

*I know cats can smile. Look! She’s smiling in her sleep!